RESUMO
This study aimed to provide height, body mass, BMI and waist circumference (WC) growth centile charts for school-children, aged 4-17 years, from central Peru, and to compare Peruvian data with North-American and Argentinean references. The sample consisted of 8753 children and adolescents (4130 boys and 4623 girls) aged 4 to 17 years, from four Peruvian cities: Barranco, La Merced, San Ramón and Junín. Height, body mass and WC were measured according to standardized techniques. Centile curves for height, body mass, BMI and WC were obtained separately for boys and girls using the LMS method. Student t-tests were used to compare mean values. Overall boys have higher median heights than girls, and the 50th percentile for body mass increases curvilinearly from 4 years of age onwards. In boys, the BMI and WC 50th percentiles increase linearly and in girls, the increase presents a curvilinear pattern. Peruvian children are shorter, lighter and have higher BMI than their counterparts in the U.S. and Argentina; in contrast, age and sex-specific WC values are lower. Height, body mass and WC of Peruvian children increased with age and variability was higher at older ages. The growth patterns for height, body mass, BMI and WC among Peruvian children were similar to those observed in North-American and Argentinean peers.
Assuntos
Índice de Massa Corporal , Gráficos de Crescimento , Circunferência da Cintura/fisiologia , Adolescente , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Estudos Transversais , Feminino , Hispânico ou Latino , Humanos , Masculino , Peru , Valores de ReferênciaRESUMO
AIM: To construct reference values for height, body mass and BMI of children and adolescents from the Cariri region, Brazil; to compare the growth of Cariri children with those from CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and with references from other Brazilian regions; to verify the associations between socioeconomic status and height, body mass and BMI in children and youth from both sexes. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The sample comprised 3311 girls and 3280 boys aged 7-17 years, participating in the study 'Healthy Growth in Cariri'. Socioeconomic status was defined according to school attendance: private and public. Centile curves for height, body mass and BMI were constructed using the LMS method. RESULTS: Significant differences between children and adolescents from Cariri and those from other Brazilian regions and the CDC references were found for height and body mass. In girls from private schools, average differences in height compared to the CDC references ranged from 0.79-5.9 cm and in boys from 2.9-8.6 cm. CONCLUSION: Children from Cariri show a growth pattern in height, body mass and BMI that closely resembles the patterns observed in developed countries, but the absolute values in height and body mass are markedly lower than CDC references and growth references for other regions in Brazil.